Boileb-ttjbe cleanee



July 3, 1923. v I

J. H. GOODFELLOW BOILER TUBE CLEANER Filed Nov, 5, 1919' I 4 I I Ira/0122 02; f

Patented July 3, 1923.

' v BOILER-TUBE or nnivnn.

JOHN n. GOODFELLQW, or BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

Application filed November 3,1919. SerialNo. 335,266.

To all whom it mag concern: r I I Be it known that I, JOHN; GOODFELLOW, citizen -of the I United States, and resident of the city of Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented'certain new and "useful Improvements in BoilenTube Cleaners, of whi'ch the following is a specification,*reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings.

This invention relates to "a boiler 1 tube "and air as the cleaner which utilizes steam -'clean1ng'med1um.

"The princlpal ob j'ect -of this invention is is durable and eflicient in 'operationjand which can be manufactured at a low cost. Another object is to so "construct the cleaner thata whirling' orcyclonic action is imparted to" the 'air and'steam whereby the .tubes fare'qi1ickly f and thoroughly cleaned in a minimum period of time.

' In the accompanying drawings? 'Figure 1 is aside elevation of a boiler tube, cleanerembodying my improvements.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section thereof. I Figure 3 is a front view thereof. i Figure 4 is alre'ar viewthereof. v Figure '5 is a vertical transeverse section on line" 5-5,'Figure 2.

Figure 6 is an enlargedrear'view of the nozzle detached from the cleaner body.

\Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts-throughout the several views. if j' f 10 indicatesthe body or head :offthe cleaner which is preferably hollow and open at both ends and constructed of castmetal,

such' as iron. It -is preferably round 'in cross section; the giieatest external diameter being smaller thanthe internal diameter of the "flue "for which it isintended. The longitudinal outline "ofthis body maybe of any desired shape, but as shown. in Figures 1 and 2, the same is 'co'mp'aratively wi'de at its center, and converges toward its" ends. secured' 'to 'the rear, or inlet end ofthe cleaner body by; a-screw connection is'a pip'flllfor ;-the purpose of conducting the steam l or similar pressure medium to said body As' is customary, this'pipe'is'connected at its opposite vendwto a hose, *not showmwhich commuiiicates with the source jof-steam supply." i 55 --Extending lengthwise of theouter face of the body 10 are a pluralityof spaced through the tube. Y

spirally disposed ribs, wings or flanges which graduallydecreasein height from a 7 point substantially midway of their length to the" front end'of'saidbody, the front ends of said flanges meeting flush with the front .end of the'bodyJ This construction facilitapes entrance of the cleaner into the boiler tu e. are provided'witli' inwardly facing shoul- Jde'rs 13 which limit the eXtentlto-which the a body may be inserte'd in" the: pipe, As shown in Figure1,-thespiral flanges 12 serve to properly support and center the ","cleaner to provide aclean'erof this character which :10 is simple and light injconstruction'; which Adjacent their rear ends these ribs ody' within the tube, said body fitting loosely enough-within the'la'tter tdpermit goscil'lzttorymoVement thereof, and'yet' pre-' vent its" hammering when-under steam preswhen the body of the cleaners 'is in position inthe e d 'ofla'boiler flue,- as shown' in ;Fig;'1, the'spiral'flange's :12 thereof are ar ranged wholly within the flue and 'do not extend outwardly therefrom, theshoulders -13 formed at theends of 'sai'd flanges loeating the cleaner inits proper positionin the flue. The portlons'of said flanges, ex

tending forwardly from the'stop 'shoulders to apoint.substantially'midway of their length, are;substantially'parallel with the inner wall of the tubeywherebyjpractically enclosed air channels are formed between the flanges, the body of the cleaner and the inner wall of the flue, thereby positively directing the incoming air in a spiral course H 'Arrangedin the front end' of thebody' 10 is a "nozzle 15L of "conical form, the 'j'major I portion of which projects beyond'the co-rresponding end of said body.- This-nozzle.

is "preferably: removably secured to the cleanerbody and for this purpose is profvided'with' 'a' screw stem 15, suitably s'e--" cured thereto,'which;is adapted toengaee a correspondingly threaded opening-16 in a gbridge piece '17 extending diametrically across thejlinterior of the 'bodylO. The

rear end of'this nozzle is provided with-a reduced cylindrical base portion: 18 which engages a corresponding opening 19' in the .front or -"outlet end "of the cleaner body and 111d normally bears at its rear end against an inwardly projecting annular shoulder QO provided at the-base of said opening 19, as shown in Figure 2. The base of the conical end of the nozzle is preferably flush with the opposing end of the cleaner head so that there are no projecting edges to interfere with the ready insertion of the-cleaner in the pipe.

Extending forwardly through the nozzle 14 are a plurality of jet openings 21 which are equidistant apart, there being four of such openings shown in the drawings, although any number may be employed. As shown in Figure '2, these jet openings are oblique to the longitudinal axis of the cleaner body. The inlet ends of these openings are preferably chamfered or beveled as shown at -22, in Figures 2 and j et openings.

In using myimproved flue cleaner the pipe 11 is connected to a source of steam supply and allowed to escape through the nozzle for a tim to permit heating of the cleaner -body and prevent condensation of the steam therein, after which it is placed in the boiler tube to becleaned. The steam escapes through thejet openings 21 of the nozzle at a high velocity and is directed against-the inner wall of the tube. the jets of steam traveling in a rifled course through the length of the tube and effectively removing soot and scale from the walls thereof and blowing the same out at its opposite end. The high pressure steam thus entering the tube produces a vacuum in rear of the nozzle 14, causing the air from the atmosphere to be'drawn through the spiral passages formed between the flanges 12 and correspondingly imparting a whirling or cyclonic action to the'jets'of steam issuing from the jet openings. Upon slightly rotating the cleaner from time to time, the paths of the steam jets are changed to insure a thorough cleaning of the whole pipe.

The jet openings ofthe nozzle 14 are inwhen the steam renters-the .jets of said nozzle, its tendency is to keep the latter d o.utwardly against th shoulder 20 of the body IQ, and thereby prevent the same from working loose and being blown out.

By .providin the cleaner body with a detachable no'zz e it can readily be replaced by a new one when the same becomes worn from continued use, without th necessity of renewing the whole cleaner, thereby materially reducing the maintenance cost of such cleaners to a minimum.

It is to be understood that various cha nges in the form and arrangement of *parts vmay be mad without-departing from the spirit -of the invention.

being flared and located in the sidesofasaid a nozzle and immediately in front of the spaces between said flanges.

'2. A boiler tube cleaner comprising a hollow body, spaced spiral flanges arranged on the outer face ofsa-id-body, and anozzle arranged at the frontend of-said body and provided with a plurality-of jet-openings, the outletends ofqsaidopenings being in substantial alinement with the spaces "be-.

tweensaid-spiral flanges :a-nd-in the sides a of said nozzle immediately in frontof'said spaces.

3. A boiler tube cleaner comprising a hollow body having a bnidgepiece extending across the interior thereof and provided with a threaded opening,- a plurality of spaced spiral flanges arranged on the 011136)? fac of said body; and a detachable-nozzle extending beyond said body and provided with jet openings and a screw stem adapted toengage the opening in said bridg iece said jet openings extending ilengthwise through said nozzle with their outlet ends arranged-in line with the spaces formed .be

tween'said spiral flanges. v V

- 4. A boilertube cleaner comprising a hollow openended body having an internal shoulder and a bridge. piecev extending across the --interio r thereof in rear-of said shoulder and provided with {a threaded opening, a plurality-.rof lspiral flanges arranged on the-outer face-ofeaidbodyand a detachable nozzle having -.aey1indrical rear portion and .a conical frontpontiontextendingbeyond saidibodm-isaidrear portion engaging the corresponding. opening inuthe frontend ofrsaidbodyand bearing against the internal shculder zofathe latter, and a screw stem extending rearwardly frem said nozzle and engaging/th iopening -.in "said bri-d-ge *piece.

5. A boiler tube cleaner comprising a hollow cylindrical body, said body being comparatively Wide at its center and convergin toward its ends, spiral flanges arrange in spaced relation on the outer face of said body and decreasing in height from a point substantially midway of their length to the front end of the body, said flanges being provided adjacent their rear ends with forwardly facing stop shoulders, a

nozzle detachably mounted in the front end of said body and having a conical front portion, said nozzle having forwardly diverging jet openings whose outlet ends are flared and located in the sidesof said coni- Signed at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, this'31st day of 9;" i

D. 1919. v v

JOHN H. GrOODliELLOW.

Witnesses:

WILMER W. SNYDER, JOHN S YDER.

October A. 

